Internally fired heat or power generator



INTERNALLY FIRED HEAT OR POWER GENERATOR Filed Oct. 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR @WVCIW ATTORNEY June 23, 1931. J. E. SHEPHERD INTERNALLY FIRED HEAT OR POWER GENERATOR 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15

INVENTOR @7272 E Skepfierdf ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED c. STATES PATENT OFFICE JOEY E. SHEPHERD, F CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA,

ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL COLD WARE INTERNALLY FIRED HEAT OR POWER GENERATOR Application filed October 15, 1925.

This invention relates to heat or power generators and method of generation, and

apparatus for heating or boiling water, and

more particularly to means for quickly heating and boiling water, by means of a gas or fuel mixture, to retain steamunder pressure for steam sprays or doing work, though it is noted that the invention is not limited to making steam nor in some respects even to heating liquids.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus or device of this kind which is adapted for furnishing heat, steam or power in garages or other places, where there would be danger of explosion, from an open fire or exposed spark or incandescent object.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus or device of this kind which is free from danger of back firing into the fuel feeding means.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efliciency of such methods and devices and to provide a device or' apparatus of this kind which is very light, compact and portable, which is economical to manufacture and which is economical, durable and reliable in operation.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many. and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an improved power generator which, briefly stated, includes a housing provided with a lower ignition chamber and receiving a boiler cooperating with the housing to form upper and lower exhaust and combustion spaces. Upwardly opening inlet valves in said ignition chamber are fed from a fuel chamber to which fuel mixture is fed by suitable feeding means. Spark plugs in the ignition chamber intermittently ignite the fuel; and upwardly opening exhaust valves at the top wall of the housing permit the exhaust gases to escape. Said inlet valves prevent back firing from the ignition Serial No. 62,845.

chamber into the fuel chamber and feeding means.

In the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a fragmental diagrammatic side elevation showing the complete power generator, the boiler and housing being shown in vertical axial section; and i 1 Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical axial sectional views, partly in elevation, showing different positions of the valves.

The boiler housing 5 mounted on a base 6 is provided with an upper boiler-receiving space, a ledge 8 around the lower part of said space, and a reduced lower ignition chamber 9 below said ledge provided with a water jacketed bottom wall 10 having feed inlet ports 11 therein. 1

A boiler 15 in said space and resting on said ledge 8 has vertical fire tubes 16 and inwardly curved upper and lower tubesheet-s 17 and 18 respectively forming an upper exhaust space 19 and a lower combustion space 20 connected by said tubes. A connecting pipe 21 connects the water jacket 22 with the boiler and a feed water pipe 23 enters the jacket. Heat insulating packing 24 of asbestos or other suitable material is disposed between the side walls of the boiler and the housing wall.

Upwardly opening feed inlet valves 25 on beveled seats 26 of said ports have down wardly pointing stems 27 receiving springs 28 for closing the valves whenever pressure, from explosion or otherwise, rises in the ignition chamber and combustion space. A fuel chamber 30 on said bottom wall below said feed ports houses said stems and springs and is fed by a rotary air pump 31 on said base having a mesh screen 32 over its inlet and having a pressure pipe 33 extending to said fuel chamber and receiving air from the pump at about three to five pounds pressure.

A Venturi connection 35 interposed in said pipe for the passage of the air therethrough has a lower radial fuel aperture 36 therein and a diametrically opposite tapped aperture receiving a valve needle 37 forcontrolling the fuel flow in the fuel aperture to permit the air passing through the Venturi to draw in fuel through the fuel aperture to form about a one-to-fourteen mixture. A float chamber 38 eommunicatingwith said fuel aperture is supplied by a valved fuel pipe 39 discharging into the float chamber and having an upturned end communicating with a raised fuel tank 40.

A motor -15 on said base is direct-connected to and drives said pump and has a worm 46 on its shaft engaging a worm wheel 47 carried by a timer shaft 48 vertically mounted in a vertical bearing bracket 49 mounted on said base. A timer disk 50 on the lower end of the timer shaft under the base is provided with projecting contacts 51 engageable by a brush 5?. once 1n about two to thirty seconds.

A spark coil. 55 having its primary coil connected by cbnductors 56, 57 and 58 in series with a. battery 60, said brush 52 and said disk 50, has its secondary respectively grounded on the base, as at 61, and connected by a conductor 62 to the ungrounded spark points of spark plugs 63 mounted in the walls of said ignition chamber each having one sparking point grounded thereon in the usual manner.

A top wall 65 on said housing and an exhaust pipe pedestal 66 have exhaust ports 67 extending therethrough in communication with said exhaust space and surrounded by an exhaust pipe or stack 68 resting on said pedestal around a rib 69 thereon. Upwardly opening exhaust valves 70 on said exhaust ports have upwardly pointing stems 71 slidable in guide apertures provided in a cross rod 73 carried by a ring 74 resting on said rib. An elbow lever 75 fulcrumed at its elbow part between ears 76 on the outer face of the pipe 68 and having a downturned lower arm 77 has an inner arm 78 passing into said pipe and pivoted to the mid part of a yoke 79 pivotally carried by the upper ends of the stems 71. A spring 80 is tensioned between a pin 81 mounted on said top wall and said lower arm 77, exterior to the pipe, whereby the valves are yieldably held on the ports without overheating the spring to prevent too free a passage of combustion gases, at the same time permitting escape of the products of combustion.

A valved main steam pipe 85 passing through the packing 24 and the side wall of the housing and communicating with the upper part of the boiler serves for taking off steam for operating a steam spray, an engine or for other purposes; while a smaller steam pipe 86 conducts steam to a feed water pump or the like (not shown) connected to the feed pipe 23. A safety valve 87 communicates with the upper part of the boiler; and a steam pressure gauge 88 cmi'ununieates with said main pipe 85.

The method of operation is very simple, and is obvious from the foregoing. Before starting up the valves are as shownin Fig. 1, and the water level 89 should be about as is shown in the water gauge 90. 1

After the motor is started, air drawn in through the screen 32 passes through the venturi and takes up enough fuel through the aperture 36 to make about a one-to-fourteen mixture, which forces open the inlet valves 25 and exhaust valves 70 (Fig. 2), and fills the ignition chamber and combustion space with the fuel mixture, whereupon sparking, brought about by engagement of the brush 52 by the contact 51, causes the ignition of the fuel and a slight consequent explosion.

'While this explosion is slight it exerts sufiicient back pressure upon the inlet valves 25 to close them to prevent any back-firin into the fuel chamber or pressure pipe, and also causes the exhaust valves to open (Fig. 3) to permit the products of combustion to pass into the stack.

After the initial explosion, the fuel mixture continues to burn, normally without explosions, the pressure in the pipe 33 and in the housing holding the inlet and exhaust valves open (Fig. 2) to permit the uniform upward passage of the fuel mixture and the products of combustion. If for any reason, the fire goes out, the recurring spark reignites it. A

The pressure in the pressure pipe is sufiicient to hold all of the valves in open equilibrium; and as the fuel then continues to burn, the open valves and probably the fire zone slightly fluctuate or vibrate, possibly due to the action of the impeller members of the rotary pump.

lVhen the apparatus is first started, gasolene or the like is used, but after the ignition chamber becomes heated up kerosene or heavier oils may be used, as the heat in the ignition chamber insures thorough vaporization and combustion.

While I have above referred to the use of gasolene and kerosene as a fuel, owing to the economy of mixing the air and gas together in the proportion of fourteen parts of air to one of gas, which is a true carburation mixture such as is used in gas engines, it is entirely within the scope of the economical performance of this apparatus to utilize illuminating gas or natural gas as a fuel owing to its great economy, and this economy, as above outlined, is accomplished by firing the charge within and surrounded by water.

The claims herein relate particularly to the burner or heater. Matter relating to the boiler, is reserved for a divisional application.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a housing providing a combustion chamber; a top wall on said housing having an exhaust pipe pedestal thereon, having an annular rib thereon and exhaust ports extending through the top wall into communication with said exhaust pedestal;

an exhaust pipe resting on said pedestal around said rib; upwardly opening exhaust valves on said exhaust ports having upwardly pointing stems; a ring resting on said rib and carrying a crossrod having guide apertures receiving said stems; a yoke pivotally carried by the upper ends of the stems; an elbow lever fulcrumed at its elbow part on the outer face of the pipe and having a downturned lower arm, and an inner arm passing into said pipe and pivoted to the midpart of said yoke; a pin mounted on said top wall; and a spring tensioned between said pin and lower arm exterior to the pipe whereby the valves are held on'the ports without overheating the sprin 2. n a heat generator of the class described an enclosed'ignition and combustion chamber, a pump and means associated therewith for continuously supplying to said chamber an inflammable air and fuel mixture under a relatively high pressure, means for producing an initial explosion of said mixture in said chamber thereby startinga continuous combustion in said chamber, one or more exhaust outlets leading from said chamber, means for cooperating with said pump to continuously maintain said pressure in said chamber, and means for preventing the'propagation of the flame of said explosion from said chamber to said pump and associated means.

3. The elements of claim 2, said associated means comprising a Ventnri air and fuel mixing means positioned between said pump and said chamber, and a pressure conduit for said mixture extending from said venturi to said chamber wherein said fuel may be more perfectly vaporized and diffused with said air preliminary to being passed into said chamber. i

4. The elements of claim 2, said cooperating means comprising one or more outwardly opening and normally open valves at said outlets and an automatic means for controlling the position of said valves, thereby adjusting the discharge area of said outlets to correspond to the rate of supplying of said mixture to said chamber by said pump thereby assisting in maintaining said pressure in said chamber constant.

5. In a heat generator ofthe class describe an enclosed ignition and combustion chamber, a pump and means associated therewith for continuously supplying to said chamber an inflammable air and fuel mixture under a relatively high pressure, means for producing an initial explosion of said mixture in said chamber thereby startingaconti-huous combustion in said chamber, one or more exhaust outlets leading from said chamber,

means for cooperating with said pump to continuously maintain said pressure in said chamber, means for preventing the propagation of the flame of said explosion' from said chamber to said pump and associated means, said cooperating means comprising one or more outwardly opening and normally open valves at said outlets'and an automatic means for controlling the position of said valves thereby adjusting the discharge area of said outlets to correspond to the rate of supplying of said mixture to said chamber by said pump, thereby assisting in maintaining said pressure in said chamber constant, an exhaust flue on said chamber, said valves being encompassed by said flue and said automatic means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said flue interiorly of the latter, said lever having one of its arms connected to said valves and the other arm thereof extending to the exterior of said flue, and a resilient means disposed to react at one end thereof on a part of said chamber exteriorly to said flue and at the other end thereof on said other arm.

6. The elements of claim 2, combined with a motor for driving said pump, and said explosion producing means including aspeed reducing mechanism actuated by said motor, said mechanism comprising a high velocity member and a low velocity member, and an electric sparking means actuated by said low velocity member whereby intermittent sparking is produced in said combustion chamber whereby an initial explosion is produced therein.

7. The elements of claim 2, combined with an inlet chamber for said mixture at the inlet end of the combustion chamber, multiple inlet passages leading from said inlet chamber to said combustion chamber, and said prevgnting means comprising multiple inwardly opening and normally continuously open spring actuated valves at the inner ends of said passages whereby to prevent the propagation of the flame of said explosion from the ignition and combustion chamber to said inlet chamber and therethrough-to said pump and associated means.

8. In a heat generator of the class described an enclosed'ignition and combustion chamber, a pump and means associated therewith for continuously supplying to said chamber an inflammable air and fuel mixture under a relatively high pressure, means for producing an initial explosion of said mixture in said chamber thereby starting a continuous combustion in said chamber, one or more exhaust outlets leading from said chamber, means for cooperating with said pump to continuously maintain said pressure in said chamber, means for preventing the propagation of the flame of said explosion from said chamber to said pump and associated means, an inlet chamber for said mixture atthe inlet end of the combustion chamber, multiple inlet passages leading from said inlet chamber to said combustion chamber, and said preventing means comprising multiple inwardv passages ly opening and normally continuously open spring actuated valves at the. inner ends of said passages whereby to prevent the propagation of the flame of said explosion from the ignition and combustion chamber to said inlet chamber and therethrough' to said pump and associated means, a wa er jacket positioned between said chambers, said inlet extending through and being encompassed by said jacket, said valves having thereon stems extending outwardly through said passages, and said valve actuating springs being positioned on the side of said jacket which is remote from said combustion chamber to react on said stems thereby actuating said valves, and the said position of said springs protecting them against the action of the heat in said combustion chamber.

9. In a heat generator of the class described an enclosed ignition and combustion chamber, a pump and means associated therewith for continuously supplying to said chamber an inflammable air and fuel mixture under a relatively high pressure, means for producing an initial explosion of said mixture in said chamber thereby starting a continuous combustion in said chamber, one or more exhaust outlets leading from said chamber, means for cooperating with said pump to continuously maintain said pressure in said chamber, means for preventing the propagation of the flame of said explosion from said chamber to said pump and associated means, said cooperating means comprising one or more outwardly opening and normally open valves at said outlets and an automatic means for controlling the position of said valves thereby adjusting the discharge area of said outlets to correspond to the rate of supplying of said mixture to said chamber by said pump, thereby assisting in maintaining said pressure in said chamber, constant, an exhaust flue on said chamber, said valves being encompassed by said flue and said automatic means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said flue interiorly of the latter, said lever having one of its arms connected to said valves and the other arm thereof extending to the exterior of said flue,

a resilientmeans disposed to react at one end thereof on a part of said chamber exteriorly to said flue and at the other end thereof on said other arm, a yoke pivotally connected at the mid part thereof to said lever, and said valves being provided in one or more pairs and having thereon outwardly extending stems pivotally connected to the ends of said yoke whereby the operation of a valve in each of said pairs is assured when the other valve may be rendered inoperative.

10. In a heat generator of the class described an enclosed ignition and combustion chamber, a pump and means associated therewi h for continuously supplying to said chamber an inflammable air and fuel mixture under a relatively high pressure, means for producing an initial explosion of said mixture in said chamber thereby starting a continuous combustion in said chamber, one or more exhaustoutlets leading from said chamber, means for cooperating with said pump to continuously maintain said pre sure in said chamber, means for preventing the propagation of the flame of said explosion from said chamber to said pump and associated means, said cooperating means comprising one or more outwardly opening and normally open valves at said outlets and an automatic means for controlling the position of said valves thereby adjusting the discharge area of said outlets to correspond to the rate of supplying of said mixture tosaid chamber by said pump thereby assisting in maintaining said pressure in said chamber constant, an exhaust flue on said chamber, said valves being encompassed by said flue and said automatic means comprising a lever pivotally connected to said flue interiorly of the latter, said lever having one of its arms connected to said valves and the other arm thereof extending to the exterior of said flue, a resilient means disposed to react at one end thereof on a part on said chamber exteriorly to said flue and at the other end thereof on said other arm, said valves having thereon outwardly'extending stems combined with guide means for said stems positioned interiorly of said flue.

11. The elements of claim 2,said cooperating means including an automatic means for adjusting the discharge area of said outlets to correspond to the rate of supplying of said mixture to said chamber by said pump thereby assisting in maintaining said pressure in said chamber constant.

12. The elements of claim 10, said guide means consisting of sleeves integral with a rod disposed transversely to said fine interiorly of the latter, said sleeves encompassing said stems and being slidably connected thereto.

13. The elements of claim 2, combined with an exhaust flue on said chamber, valves encompassed by said exhaust flue and automatic means comprising a bell crank lever pivotally connected at its elbow to said exhaust flue, said lever having one of its arms disposed substantially transversely to said exhaust flue interiorly of the latter and connectcd to said valves and the other arm thereof extending to the exterior of said exhaust flue, and a tensile spring connected at one end thereof to a part on said chamber teriorly of said exhaust flue and at the other end thereof to said other arm.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 30th day of September, A. D. 1925.

JOHN E. SHEPHERD. 

